As First American Race to Offer Video Podcast of On-Track Footage
Although the extremely successful 44th Rolex 24 At Daytona, Round 1 of the 2006 Grand American Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve, took the checkered flag more than two weeks ago, the twice-around-the-clock classic is still making noise in the motorsports world, as the video podcast of the event made it the first race in the United States to be available to fans worldwide using this cutting edge technology.
Motorsports Images and Archives compiled more than eight hours of footage from the race—which was won by Scott Dixon, Dan Wheldon and Casey Mears in the No. 02 Target Chip Ganassi Racing Lexus Riley—using a live feed from SPEED, which broadcast more than 13 hours of live footage of the event. The footage was formatted and links were made available on iTunes, downloadable to any computer and handheld audio and video device.
Fans could also link to the podcast from MRNRadio.com and racingone.com.
After revolutionizing the way consumers access and organize audio files with the creation of portable handheld devices several years ago, the various handhelds on the market are now equipped with audio and video capabilities. Subscribers can also download television shows, news updates and weather reports, among other things to these devices.
“With technology constantly turning the inconceivable into the practical, there are always new mediums for us to bring our product to the masses,” said Grand American President Roger Edmondson. “This video podcast gives Grand American another avenue to show the world how close the racing is in the Rolex Series and how special our drivers and teams are, and we feel privileged to be the first to offer this technology to our fans. This wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity and expertise of SPEED and Motorsports Images and Archives.”
Motorsports Images and Archives is currently planning additional podcast endeavors for future races in the Rolex Series, with the next possibly coming in the Brumos Porsche 250 at Daytona International Speedway in June.
“The Rolex 24 At Daytona represented a great opportunity for us to work with MRN Radio and SPEED to collaborate and explore this new and exciting medium,” said Tom Pokorny, President of Motorsports Images and Archives. “The kickoff of a new racing season, a world-wide audience, and the drama of this historic race made it a great event to use the podcast to deliver content.”
The Grand American Road Racing Association, which operates and sanctions the Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Special Reserve and the Grand-Am Cup Series, is the premier road racing organization in North America. The 15-race 2006 Rolex Series schedule and the 10-race Grand-Am Cup calendar deliver professional sports car racing to key markets throughout North America in addition to being televised in the United States and Canada on SPEED and distributed globally through ESPN International. With title sponsorship support from Rolex Watch USA and presenting sponsorship from Crown Royal Special Reserve, the Rolex Series showcases emerging and legendary drivers from around the globe and thoroughbred racing machines from the industry's leading constructors and the world's top automobile manufacturers. Learn more about Grand American at grandamerican.com.
